1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to armaments and more particularly to reactive and active armor.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
The prior art discloses various arrangements of active and reactive armor in which a medial layer is positioned between an outer and inner armor layer with a medial explosive or nonexplosive layer which disrupts a shaped charge to prevent its penetration of the overall armor system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,660, for example, discloses an arrangement in which an explosive charge is positioned between two armor layers. On detonation of the explosive, the armor layers are displaced from one another to disrupt the shaped charge jet.
Systems which disrupt the shaped charge jet may not be entirely suitable for use on relatively lightly armored vehicles since the inner armor layer will have to be substantial enough to protect the occupants of the vehicle from the force generated by the detonation of the explosive layer itself.
A need, therefore, exists for an active armor system which is suitable for use on a relatively lightly armored vehicle.
Unarmored military vehicles may also vulnerable to shaped charge weapons. Retrofitting such vehicles with an outer explosive layer to disrupt high the shaped charge jet may not be a satisfactory solution.
A need, therefore, exists for an active armor system which may be retrofitted on an unarmored vehicle.